Making an Irish Free State City – The case of the missing bicycles

In the Cork Circuit Court on 29 January 1926, memories of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War and the life of Cork city collided.

Before the court was the Hearne Cycle Company Limited of 254 Gray’s Inn Road, London, who were claiming for lost earnings of £4,979 in respect of 1,521 bicycles gone missing at Ballincollig Military Barracks, and which they were owed money for.

The circuit court case outlined that the bicycles were part of a large number of bikes which were purchased by the Hearne Cycle Company from the British Disposal Board. In March 1922, the company sold them to Ballincollig Military Barracks, but the bill was not paid. Indeed, several weeks passed and the bill was not paid.

Established in 1921, the British Disposal Board or Disposal and Liquidation Commission was a body by the British government to sell off surplus war supplies and equipment, especially those belonging to the Ministry of Munitions following the First World War.

At the 1926 circuit court hearing, evidence was given by John Hearne who detailed that a contract was entered into with the board for all bicycles that became surplus to the British Army at 35s each. The bicycles sold to Ballincollig Military Barracks had cost Hearne Cycle Company a total of £1,521.

Following the evacuation of the British Army of Ballincollig Military Barracks on 7 May 1922, the 1,521 bicycles remained in storage. Custody of the bicycles then passed to the Irish Provisional Government who became in charge of the barracks. Several weeks passed again with the politics of the day also shifting at the same time. The bill for the 1,521 bicycles was not paid to the Hearne Cycle Company.

Cross-examined at the Cork Circuit Court in late January 1926, Mr Hearne detailed that the obligation to look after the bicycles and especially for payment was noted to representatives of the Provisional Government, who took over the barracks. John J Robinson, one of the Irish directors of the Hearne Cycle company, stated that he even communicated with General Emmet Dalton, who acted as evacuation officer for the Provisional Government, to look after the bicycles.

Mr Riordan was the State Investigator, who was appointed to look into the 1926 compensation claim by Hearne Cycle Company. He remarked in his evidence that he was satisfied that 1,521 bicycles were in Ballincollig Military Barracks on 17 May 1922, the day in which the barracks was taken over by the Provisional Government. He had personally seen written records that revealed that the bicycles were housed in three sheds. They even had been removed and carefully inspected, and 200 were found serviceable.

John Robinson further revealed that in the period post May 1922 there was an uneasy feeling in moving the 1,541 bicycles for fear of the carriers being ambushed and all of the bicycles being taken.

John related that in 1921, there was the story of 200 bicycles that were moved from Cork to Dublin, but only 87 made it to Dublin – the storage box was seized and looted by members of the IRA. Compensation for that unsuccessful move from Cork to Dublin was given by the Irish Free State government. They offered £2 and 15 shillings for each of the 200 bicycles based on market prices of the day.

Across July and early August 1922, Ballincollig Military Barracks were taken over by anti-Treaty IRA members or Irregulars. The paying of the Hearne Cycle Company bill was not part of the Irregulars’ campaign.

Indeed, during the occupation, they handed out 100 of the 1,521 bicycles to their different local and regional outposts of the Irregulars. Such information was discovered by Mr Riordan in his investigation, who also revealed that the remaining 1,421 bicycles were in all sorts of conditions – some were usable and some were not.

When Cork city was re-taken by the Free State National Army on 10 August 1922, Ballincollig Military Barracks was set alight by the Irregulars. They retreated to Macroom and further into West Cork.

The Cork Examiner records on 15 August 1922 that one of their journalists, following the retreat, attended the barracks. His published account details the fire-burnt debris scattered about and the public looting that was taking place.

“Getting into the barrack grounds one can work one's way through debris. Nearly all the roofs have fallen in… Corrugated iron, barbed wire, cooking utensils, and a hundred and one miscellaneous kinds of things lie scattered about. It would be impossible to give a complete inventory of everything. In one part of the grounds a row of gaunt fire-charred trees bear testimony to the intensity with which a neighbouring block burned. And amidst the scene one finds carts being loaded with everything that could by any stretch of the imagination be used for some purpose.”

The Cork Examiner reporter records that gates, doors, and window frames were being taken away. In the broad daylight, even efforts were being made by a large number of people to take away the telephone poles. What was also looted by the general public were approximately 1,100 bicycles.

Indeed, Mr Riordan at the 1926 circuit court case further revealed that he had personal evidence to detail. He himself had seen in Cork city in mid-August 1922, bicycles that were the property of Hearne Cycle Company been ridden by boys openly on the streets. He noted that it was a “well-known fact” that anyone who wanted a bicycle only had to go to Ballincollig Military Barracks and pick one out and take it freely. Mr Riordan related that boys even used to go out to Ballincollig at 5am to do their picking.

At the 1926 circuit court case, the judge, who was present, concluded that the Hearne Cycle Company claim was within the compensation act. He noted that they, as applicants, were entitled to the amount they had paid for the bicycles of £1,521. He also noted that they were also entitled to a reasonable percentage, which would represent the ordinary commercial profit of the transaction, which he put a 30%.

According to the judge the bicycles were therefore worth £1,825, and he gave a decree to that amount, and £10 for expenses. The bill was to be paid by the Irish Free State Government.